A facile strategy to fabricate silver-functionalized superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with long-term antibacterial properties

Silver-functionalized textiles, as the most common protective medical materials, have attracted considerable attention. However, poor antibacterial durability and relatively tedious preparation process limit their applications. In this study, a kind of multifunctional cotton fabric was prepared through simultaneous dip-coating of silver-silica hybrid nanoparticles (Ag-MSNs) and fluorinated MSNs (F-MSNs), providing excellent antifouling ability due to superhydrophobicity and long-term antibacterial properties from the sustained release of Ag ions (Ag+). Detailed studies were performed to evaluate their structure and protective performance, especially the long-term antibacterial properties of the obtained fabrics were tested by the inhibition zone experiment for 25 d. The as-prepared fabrics showed good non-wetting properties and sustained antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Further washing and abrasion experimentations demonstrated that the as-prepared fabrics had stable hydrophobicity and antibacterial properties, much more reliable than commercial antibacterial gauze. Considering the inexpensive and simple preparation process as well as long-term and efficient effect for sterilization, the strategy paves a new and facile way for the fabrication of multifunctional fabrics with robust hydrophobic and antibacterial activity.